


Roads Unwalked: A Champion's Path

by An_Uninspired_Heap



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, Pocket Monsters: FireRed & LeafGreen | Pokemon FireRed & LeafGreen Versions
Genre: Blood and Violence, Crimes & Criminals, F/M, Gen, Multi, Mystery, Organized Crime, Rating: NC17, Thriller
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-26
Updated: 2018-12-26
Packaged: 2019-09-27 03:25:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,273
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17154389
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/An_Uninspired_Heap/pseuds/An_Uninspired_Heap
Summary: Kanto is at its lowest. Ten years into the aftermath of the great war, law enforcement is spread thin, and once-proud cities are reduced to cesspools of crime and corruption. An arduous path lies ahead for three aspiring Pallet trainers, as they are pitted against forces beyond their wildest dreams. Three destinies cross here, and they all forge their own path to the top.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> DISCLIMER: This piece of fiction is a fanmade interpretation of the canonical Game Universe, novelised into the style of a political crime thriller novel. As of such, stakes are high, the atmosphere is intense, and the tone is gritty. 
> 
> While not completely grimdark, the story contains inappropriate language, occasional violence, and content that is potentially unsuitable for consumption by children under the age of 14.

* * *

* * *

**S** treaks of lightning lacerated the skies of Viridian City and salted the earth with a sea of flames. Gales fanned the inferno in the face of the booming downpour that had enveloped the coastline in a flash flood. Entire ecosystems were drowning in the howling tempest, and temperatures fluctuated wildly, setting on centigrade spikes that dwarfed Mount Silver as they moved from freezing point to heat-wave territory and everywhere in between. Route 1 saw the face of Armageddon, carved out by the divine wrath of wicked black clouds bubbling and bleeding sparks into the earth. It was completely unprecedented.

A lone chopper whipped against the cyclonic winds, tilting dangerously. The doors opened, and a blonde reporter surveyed the hellscape beneath her, signalling her cameraman by hand to start rolling in thirty seconds.

“My god…” she gasped. “This… what _is_ this?”

“Hell on earth, Gabby,” he deadpanned while adjusting the camera lens. “Take it in. We’re wired to National and rolling in twenty. Don’t fall out, though, because I’m not coming to get you.”

Gabby took a deep breath. “Yeah… sure, asshat.”

She swallowed to moisten her parched throat before burying a shiver. This storm was unlike anything she had seen in her eight years of disaster reporting. The raw carnage it unleashed even on the pokemon most adept at survival was morbid. One could see bodies washed away in rapids. Dead or alive, human or pokemon, checking them was signing your own death warrant.

“Gabby! Get ready, we’re rolling in three, two, one…!”

Televisions all over the region now viewing Kanto News would show viewers the hellscape outside Viridian. The camera rolled with a flash of lightning, followed by a sickening _CRACK_ to fade the reporter’s voice in.

“Good evening, Kanto! This is Gabby Wilson, coming at you live overlooking the site of disaster from Viridian Airspace. You are now viewing live footage of day three of this mysterious weather phenomenon that decimated Fuchsia coastlines last week. Routes 1, 22 and 17 have officially been branded ground zero for the hurricane that Weather Institutes are now dubbing _Kingdra_. People in Viridian have been ordered to stay in their homes with windows shut and doors locked, but things are far worse than protocol presents. We’re moving in for a closer look now!”

The cameraman nearly jumped out of his skin.

“What’re you thinking?” he hollered after muting the audio. “Are you _trying_ to get us killed?”

Gabby frowned and got out of the camera’s way. “The people need a closer look, now quit arguing and adjust! We’re going in!”

“You can’t be serious!”

“Get us in closer, Captain! Over.” She spoke into her walkie-talkie to the pilot.

 _“Copy that, ma’am,”_ He replied through static. _“Hold on tight. Over.”_

“You crazy woman--”

Much to the cameraman’s horror, their chopper swerved dangerously, riding the gales to decrease altitude. He cursed under his breath when the turbulence nearly capsized them, and howling winds drenched the interior in water both scalding and freezing. They narrowly avoided a twisting tendril of lightning, and the chopper blades whipped valiantly against relentless rain.

The copter finally stabilised, and Gabby ordered audio relink before stepping into the spotlight visibly drenched. She surveyed the sight below, taking in the pandemonium brought on by nature.

“As you can see, the devastation runs deep, and while sources confirm that aid from both Unova and Sinnoh has arrived through their embassies, with Kalos on the trail, they’re still ninety miles off. Viridian will be forced to hold out until… wait a moment…” She was a professional, but the sight she saw would have baffled anyone into a stammer. “It… it looks like a person! Out in this storm!”

The cameraman, while still fuming, took the cue to focus the lens and zoom in on the scene anyway. With angular perfection through the tempest’s deluge, he captured what looked like the back of a young man in a cap and red jacket.

“Ladies and gentlemen, it looks like we have a trainer out here; timed 17:43. Identity unknown. Zooming in for a closer look…”

The camera zoomed in further on the boy – he couldn’t have been more than seventeen years old – but alongside a poliwhirl, he braved elements even seasoned veterans trembled at the thought of. Fighting against the rain, he gave an inaudible order, and his poliwhirl sent streaking tendrils of energy that wove ice into helical bridges and formed a frigid platform with a set of bars to maneuver with. He leapt, latching on to the makeshift monkey bars before moving slowly towards a nearby tree.

The reporter and her cameraman were speechless, and the footage just continued in silence. Gabby then caught herself. “Um… uh, we’re seeing… uhm… what looks like a rescue by a… a _trainer_.”

Shifting focus, the cameraman zoomed in maximally to show the tree this boy was climbing towards. And there it was, trapped under a splintered fallen branch: a trembling ghost pokemon.

“Citizens of Kanto, there is a drifloon trapped in the tree! This is now a live rescue. We cannot get any closer, but prayer is still an option…” She covered her mic and muttered, “This is suicide…”

**=====#=====**

**T** he whirring chopper blades were drowned out by the hammering deluge, and the lone trainer vaulted from one icy bar to the next. He soldiered on unfazed through the deafening thunderclaps and visceral thunderbolts.

“Keep the ice strong, Poli! I’m almost there!” he hollered over the winds, glancing reassuringly towards the poor, trapped drifloon. “Don’t worry! I’m coming to get you!”

With a final swing of his body that shattered the ice bar, the boy launched himself onto a tree branch. He hauled himself up, scraping moist splinters and mold onto his shirt, and balanced on the gale-rocked branch. His jacket fluttered and nearly knocked him over into the flood rapids below.

 _Yikes, that was almost a life insurance plan cashed out… wait, do I even have one of those?_ He took slow steps towards the terrified balloon pokemon. An imported pet from Sinnoh; it belonged to one of his neighbours from Pallet Town and had been swept away in a gust. The old lady had been worried sick since, so leave it to him to commit to this cause. _Nice going, Red._ He grit his teeth. _You are in for_ the _lecture of a lifetime when you get out of this._

“Hey, don’t worry! Hold still, and I’ll get you out of there!” Even at their proximity, he had to yell to be heard. “Ugh… hold on tight.”

The drifloon radiated fear, but at the moment, it was smart enough to know its options were limited. It wrapped its free arm around Red’s shoulder, and the boy threw caution to the wind to muster the strength to free the pokemon. He cried out as splinters dug into his gloved hands. _Horrible day to go fingerless._

Quipping mentally always kept him tuned out of the severity of his situations. He had a knack for getting into bad ones.

The wood creaked and moaned as its bark cracked under the pressure, but he managed to lift it. Red worked fast to sweep out the drifloon’s crushed arm before promptly dropping the branch. The entire tree shook, but he held fast, cradling the balloon pokemon in his arms.

“You’re gonna be okay… shh, it’s over,” he reassured it. “I’m taking you home.”

Red turned to his poliwhirl in the water and gave it a thumbs-up; then he looked towards the sky, balancing himself against the chopper blades’ whiplash. His confident smile made the perfect shot for the camera up close, which finally came into focus through the torrential downpour.

“So, think you can get us a stepladder?" he called over the wind. “Help would be _really_ nice right now!”

Then – _KRA-KA-KA-KOOM!_ A ferocious thunderclap arced a bolt straight into the helicopter’s tail rotor. It didn’t stand a chance, swiveling dangerously off-course in a spinning descent.

 _Oh god…_ Red’s eyes widened when he saw the vehicle crashing and burning, sending signals of panic through the desolate skies. Smoke billowed from the tail as the interior was rocked to its core. Live transmission worldwide cut off from the amperage overload frying circuits, with the last words from Gabby on air being _‘We’ve been hit!’_

Red watched in horror as the chopper descended upon the tree he was squatted on. This was it. The end. He shut his eyes tight, waiting to pass with the drifloon tight and secure in his embrace.

The end did not come. The sickening creak of bending metal overshadowed the downpour. Mighty wingbeats flapped away the rain, twisting winds around the regal form of a gargantuan dragonoid with orange scales glistening in lightning flashes. It handled the chopper like a toy in its massive claws, and its tiny wings easily packed the power to save them all from certain doom. Red could only gawk.

“Southern perimeter secured. The bird's safe and sound; I’m having Dragonite secure their doors,” a lean man in a red cape said into his communicator. He radiated power. The power to take command of the most powerful trainers in Kanto. The power to remain calm in this otherworldly cataclysm. The power and strength of character to control mighty beasts like the dragonite he was mounted on. It obeyed promptly, using its gargantuan claws to force the chopper doors shut. This would prevent the pair inside from falling right out.

“Bruno, status report on the north, stat. Agatha and Lorelei have lockdown on their objective.” After a radio pause, he nodded. “Copy that. Reconvene at Indigo Plateau once you ensure the safety of the injured. Disaster Control should take it from here on out.”

The communications cut off, leaving a completely awestruck Red squatting on a tree in the rain. His grip on drifloon tightened to the point of making it squirm.

“Ohmygod…” He breathed, “You’re- you’re Lance! Like one of the elite 4-”

“And you’re out a little late on a school night.” Lance scoffed as wrinkles formed on his forehead. “What gave you the bright idea to come out here in the middle of a Cat. 5?”

“W-Well…” He averted his gaze, and his voice lowered to a whisper. “I was just trying to help out.”

“Where do you live?”

Red raised his voice over the rain. “Pallet town, sir, Lance sir!”

“Really, now?” He raised a brow, almost unable to swallow that such a brave – or foolish – young man was from a village outback. With a click of his tongue, the Dragon Master extended a hand. “Alright, then, hop on.”

Dragonite hoisted the helicopter onto its shoulder, carrying it like a sack of potatoes. It found no strain in flapping those tiny wings to keep itself afloat. Bobbing in the air, it turned around and lowered itself to close distance between its master and the boy. Red could only gawk at Lance’s extended hand, unable to meet the man’s intense gaze.

“We’re taking you home.”

With a gulp he took his hand and jumped on board with drifloon still holding on to his shoulder. Then, the world whizzed into a blur as they left even the sonic booms behind. Red could not see or hear much, but he could think, and one thought haunted him beyond the adrenaline rush.

 _I am_ so _grounded..._

**X===== FIN =====X**

**A/N: Hello, and welcome to the first project on this page! I don’t promise a lot of stories due to the volatility of my schedule, or a lot of updates because life can be a b!tch and I do this as a hobby for now, but I’m going to try and keep things as consistent as possible.**

**The wallpaper is an amalgam of different images I found on google, and while there was transformative work put into the editing, I don’t wanna be a bitch with fair use. The following document contains credit for all the images used in the creation of the fanfic cover.**

[ https://docs.google.com/document/d/17cjNn8fgI4T7ktagFuzeWXh666jzGJtv3DyqgYqLohk/edit?usp=sharing ](https://docs.google.com/document/d/17cjNn8fgI4T7ktagFuzeWXh666jzGJtv3DyqgYqLohk/edit?usp=sharing)

**With that out of the way, I look forward to seeing the lot of you next time! Reviews are highly appreciated, as I’m always trying to get better at my craft, so drop a few if you’re feeling generous. If you like this story, share it with your friends, and maybe consider giving it a follow. Hopefully, I won’t disappoint you.**

**Good day!**


	2. Chapter 2

**“Y** ou, my dear son, are _so grounded_!”

The words stung as much as they did when Red had initially thought of them on the way home. They had been the only things on his mind, but anticipation didn't make it any easier to take. He bit his lower lip, bracing for the second sting that very same minute.

“YEOWWW!!” he cried out. “Come on! At least _act_ like you're being gentle, Blue!”

“I'm not.” Blue frowned at the boy in the chair next to hers, shaking a splinter off her tweezers into the pile. “You know damn well what you did, and you got off easy with just cuts and splinters…”

“That he did…” his mother added with arms folded. The woman hadn't stopped pacing; it was how she came down from the highest points of stress. “Blue, dear, twist the next one out for me.”

“Hey!" Red protested, but his entire body twisted in pain when his friend obliged almost too happily.

His mother sighed, “Lord knows I can't bend you over and spank you anymore… because on him, I would!”

Red gulped, but decided to hold his silence as the treatment of his arm continued. There were at least fifty splinters, most of which made themselves at home in his fingers – and that was only his left arm. Moving his right dragged countless sharpnel through his skin, and he knew how painful resting his back on the chair would be. A mild amount of regret welled up within him, and pride was the only thing keeping his teeth from clattering in the dank cold.

After a whole five minutes of silent splinter removal and aggressive pacing, Red's mother stopped, turned and glared at him. “I need some air… I'm stepping out.”

“What?!" Red protested, “It's still pouring outside!”

“And _you’re_ in a position to talk safety since… when exactly?” Red bit back a retort. There was no right answer when his mother got like this. “That's what I thought.”

“Be careful, Mrs. Tajiri,” Blue added on as she left. Silent affirmation was followed by the balcony door slamming shut.

“You know,” Red began, “She goes on and on about how she'd rather be called _mom_ by the two of you…”

“Yeah, probably because we're a lot less stressful to handle.”

Red winced, “Wow. _Seriously_ not the time, Blue…”

“Really? Then when _will_ it be time? You almost got yourself killed! If it wasn't for Mr. Lance--”

“You'd be scraping pieces of me off the underside of a news copter. _I get it_. Only the fifteenth time I'm being reminded…”

“Because we care!” Blue exclaimed, on the verge of tears now. “When you made national news, both Green and I rushed over to catch your mom as she passed out. Why don't you wake up, grow up, and understand that the risk-taking’s gone far enough?”

“Do I really need to take this from you? I’m sixteen!”

“Then start acting like it!” she cried, “Don’t make national news and make us think your funeral’s next week!”

Red was known for being thick-headed, but he knew where lines in the sand were drawn. He was the one who had returned drenched from a flood, but Blue was shivering noticeably. With a long drawn sigh, he relented. “Yeah, okay… I'm sorry.”

“You'd better be.” Blue huffed, before pulling another splinter out.

Her hands were shaking, and Red needed an ice-breaker. Fast. “Speaking of Green, where _is_ that smartass?”

**=====#=====**

**S** andbags formed gargantuan walls at the outskirts of Pallet town, and an abra grunted as the last one supported itself perfectly at the top of things, eight metres above ground. Synthetic water-repellent flood bags – a technological marvel from a decade ago – now warded off the flood from the north with an airtight defense. The weather phenomenon was spreading at a blinding rate, and the twisters in the distance grew more visible by the second. While Route 1 was vast, the hurricane _Kingdra_ was no ordinary storm. Now, at least Pallet town wouldn’t get swept away in the event of an expansion.

The news footage of the storm had gone viral, and it had perfectly captured the image of a trainer in red saving a drifloon.  The abra approached its owner and tugged at his sleeve, averting his gaze from the footage replaying on his smartphone.

“Hmm? Oh, looks like we’re done. Disaster Control should have it from here, then.” he scoffed, “If Pallet _had_ a Disaster Control unit… but we’re Pallet Town. That would be too convenient, too expensive, and frankly, too good for this dump.”

“You got that right.” A patrolman from the local precinct chuckled as he walked up to the young man. “It’s just us at HQ. If you can call it that. Double storey building; it ain’t great, but it gets the job done.”

“Double storey? Sounds rough.”

“We suck it up.” he said, “Thanks for all the help, Mr. Oak. We appreciate it.”

“Just Green is fine, Officer Beck,” Green promptly returned his abra to its pokeball. “And I’m glad to assist.”

Beck sized Green up. The boy looked about sixteen, with spiky brown hair framing his sharp features. His hooded raincoat did little to hide them.

“You look pretty seasoned, Green. I hear the old man always talking about you when he drives by for chats; I gotta say, you’re the real deal.”

“Gramps likes to exaggerate.” Green said with a shrug, “I just do my part as a citizen. It’s Red that you’ve gotta watch.”

“Tell me about it. Kid’s all over the news.”

“He has a bad habit of making himself… known. No doubt we’ll be getting a lot of eyes on us soon.”

Beck raised a brow, “Soon? So you’re heading out?”

“Mhm. Gramps ordered the starter pokemon already. We were supposed to leave today morning, but…” He didn’t need to say much, because a simple gesture towards the storm got the message across. “Technical difficulties.”

The patrolman laughed out loud, scratching his hair under his gore-tex hood. “Well, you can be sure you’ll be getting a medal for this work.”

“I’ll pass.”

“I’m sorry, what?”

“I said I’ll pass.” He waved it off, “I’m not very ceremonious. Plus, I’m not in town for much longer. I’d say save the celebration for _after_ I conquer the Kanto League.”

Beck laughed. “That’s some confidence. You really think you can pull something like that off? It hasn’t been done in years.”

“Positive.” Green smiled. “I was basically born for championship, Officer. Keep your eyes on the news.”

He then looked to the sky. The drizzles were simmering down, and from what he could hear, the twisters were distancing themselves. It looked like the Elite 4 had succeeded in their advance relief operation.

“Well, I’ve got places to be, so if you have everything here under control…” He looked around before beginning to move with hands in his pockets, “Smell ya later.”

Officer Beck looked incredulously at the steady, striding figure of Green Oak. He waved slowly, “Heh… some kid.”

**=====#=====**

**T** elevisions all over western Kanto came alive with the news channels. Once satellite connections had been restored, channels sent out scores of reporters that clamoured up a myriad of porches to hunt down civilian statements. The public loved a good sob story, especially if it could be used to propagate ‘charity’ drives and relief missions by ‘philanthropists.’ Pallet Town had never been more active.

The camera rolled at the doorstep of the Oak Residence, and Gabby from the Kanto News Network immediately kicked off her single on air. “Good morning, Kanto! This is Gabby Wilson, coming at you live from the doorstep of esteemed Pokemon Professor Samuel Oak, whose grandson, Green Oak, was integral to the Disaster Prevention efforts undertaken by the Pallet Precinct. While Pallet’s shave with hurricane _Kingdra_ was narrow, the worst outcome has nevertheless been avoided. I’m moving in now to get a statement.”

The cameraman advanced just as the door opened to reveal the young boy with spiky hair and a frown plastered on his face. He let out a sigh.

“Okay, what gives?”

Gabby jumped on the chance, “Sir, would you like to give us your statements regarding the recent disaster prevention efforts undertaken by Pallet Precinct, and your contributions to them?”

He gave the camera a good, long, hard look, before making the most disgusted expression ever put to television. “No comment.”

He slammed the door shut, and no amount of further knocking got anybody out of the house. Gabby let out a defeated sigh off-camera, and her cameraman gave her the _I told you so_ look. They decided that they would have better luck with Red’s home.

They were wrong.

A grown woman answered the door, and promptly shut it in their faces with another _no comment_. She seemed particularly angry at the cameraman. There were no interesting headlines that day, and if Kanto News Network had failed so miserably, it stood to reason that the other, smaller networks would not fare too much better. Pallet Town exited the spotlight at the very same speed it had entered it after Red’s antics.

**=====#=====**

**“H** ey, Poli,” Red sighed, staring at his room ceiling. “Think the grounding'll end any time soon?”

The poliwhirl shrugged, and while Red didn't see it, he knew there was no other gesture for the occasion. That was the extent of their bond.

“Yeah, me neither… but I'm sure news will come soon. We're way overdue at the prof's lab anyway. Storm really set us back.”

Since Red was a three-year-old boy, and Poli was an undersized poliwag fresh from atop its own eggshells, the two shared this very same room. They had polished the maple floor together, washed out the large windows that overlooked the porch, spent hours upon hours at the teak desk finishing assignments from the Pallet Academy for Trainers, and slept countless nights huddled together in the very same bed they were flopped on at that moment.

A sense of emptiness permeated through Red. The entire week he had eaten meals in silence across from his mother, who had calmed herself a little, but was steadfast on his punishment: It was to last until he would set off with his two friends to take on the Pokemon League challenge. No more, no less.

After five minutes passed in silence, the boy began flailing in his bed as he realised how pitiful this existence was.

“Argh! I can't take this anymore, man!” he told Poli. “There have been zero updates from Green, the television shows the same three cartoons on repeat, and I have 100%’ed every game on the Gamecube! What the hell am I supposed to do, stare at the goddamned ceiling till nightfall?”

At that very second, it was like unsung prayers had been answered. His phone vibrated with a distinctive _buzz_. Red gave the screen a scrutinous squint, and there were three messages from Blue. A fourth had come in that very moment. He touched the notification and entered his PIN.

 

* * *

  **[Blue @ 14:45]** _Heyyy! News finally came in!!_

**[Blue @ 14:45]** _Grounding ends soon_

**[Blue @ 14:46]** _Green just txted. Said the prof got the starters in delivery, and hes making final preps as we speak._ _  
_**= >** **Fwd (14:44):** _Gramps got starters in the mail today. He’s calibrating our dexes now, so tell that idiot Red to prepare himself for an early bail. Much as I’d love to ditch him, I don’t give out the pokemon. Gramps does._

**[Blue @ 14:46]** _Idk when his sense of humour got so sour, but idrc._ _Sooo excited rn._ _  
__asjpodjqpojfwqpodnspk--_

* * *

 

Nothing should have been able to top the complete mess of alphabets in Blue's last text, but a fire igniting in Red's eyes proved otherwise. With an ecstatic _woohoo!_ the boy jumped off his bed.

“Poli! We’re free!” he cried. “Free from this tyranny! At last!”

The fact that Green had called him an idiot didn’t faze the boy in the least. He was too busy dancing a jig with Poli. The poliwhirl happily went along, sharing its trainer’s joy. After all, whenever their mother passed judgment, they usually shared it.

Red jumped onto his bed and began texting back at breakneck speeds.

 

* * *

**[You @ 14:48]** _Cool!!!! When do we leave??_

**[Blue @ 14:48]** _Well, the arrangements should be done by tomorrow morning. Meet you outside your place at six?_

**[You @ 14:48]** _It’s a date._

* * *

 

Red couldn’t believe what he was reading. In one leap, he grabbed Poli’s hand and rushed the both of them out of his room and down the stairs.

“Mom! They’re here! They’re here!”

The boy was on the verge of tears; tomorrow, he would have his very own Pokedex, enabling him for registration as a Pokemon League challenger. While sliding down the staircase rail, he imagined the whole thing. A full team of powerful pokemon with him at the head of things, taking command and squaring off against the greatest trainers in the entire country. A grand vision of triumph, all at the crack of a radiant dawn. Nothing short of Arceus itself was going to stop him.

**X===== FIN =====X**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this chapter saw the introduction to Green Oak and Blue -- the rival trainer and the female protagonist in game canon. 
> 
> I know there’s quite a bit of confusion with the two names due to the release of Pokémon Blue version in the western world as opposed to its Japanese counterpart, Pokémon Green version, so I’m writing this note to clarify that Green is the rival trainer (anime watchers would know him as Gary), while Blue is the female protagonist. This is how I’m writing the story, so please try not to clutter the reviews with wars over the names. I believe in authenticity over localisation in this particular case.


End file.
